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Stater
| Issuer | Seriphos |
|---|---|
| Year | 530 BC - 500 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Dewing#1967, Kraay&Hirm#529 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A deep incuse square, produced by the punch technique characteristic of early Archaic Greek coinage, subdivided into five distinct raised and recessed segments by diagonal and orthogonal lines meeting at a central point, creating a geometric mill-sail or windmill pattern. The interior sections alternate between raised and sunken planes, giving the design a strong chiaroscuro effect. No inscription or additional device is present. This type of incuse reverse is typical of Cycladic island mints of the late sixth century BC. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Seriphos was among the smallest and most isolated of the Cycladic islands, yet it operated its own mint during the Archaic period — an assertion of civic identity that many larger poleis never bothered with. The island's silver supply almost certainly derived from trade rather than local mining, making the decision to strike at this weight standard a deliberate economic and political act rather than a practical necessity.
Kraay's attribution places this issue within a tight chronological window that corresponds to the broader Aegean adoption of the Attic weight standard, though Seriphan coinage remains poorly documented in hoards, limiting what can be said with confidence about its circulation range.